Cafeteria Consumables for Middletown Public Schools

Middletown Public Schools (MPS) in Middlesex County, Connecticut, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for cafeteria consumables to support the district's school meal programs across ten school locations (nine elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school) for a two-year contract period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. The procurement encompasses a comprehensive range of consumable items including food service packaging, utensils, cleaning supplies, and related materials necessary to serve approximately 3,100 lunches, 500 dinners, and 1,800 breakfasts daily. The successful vendor must provide monthly deliveries to all school locations between 6:30 AM and 2:30 PM as negotiated with the Food Service Director, with all delivery costs and inside delivery services included in proposal pricing and no fuel surcharges permitted. Proposals must be submitted online through the Middletown Board of Education's e-Procurement Portal (https://mpsct.bonfirehub.com) by 11:00 AM EST on May 15, 2026, with written questions due to Christopher Puorro, Purchasing Agent, at puorroc@mpsct.org by May 6, 2026, at 12:00 PM EST. Award recommendations will be based on evaluation criteria consisting of price (60%), customer service (25%), and sustainable non-polystyrene items (15%), and the Board reserves the right to conduct presentations or interviews with selected vendors following initial proposal review. Pricing shall be fixed for the initial contract year with an opportunity to adjust pricing in April 2027, subject to Board approval based on reasonableness; the Board reserves the right to rebid if increases are deemed unreasonable.

The RFP contains no identified set-asides or restrictions limiting responses to specific types of organizations or disadvantaged enterprises based on the available documentation. The City of Middletown is exempt from all federal excise taxes and Connecticut sales and use taxes, and vendors should not include these in their proposal pricing. The successful vendor must provide a Certificate of Insurance naming the City of Middletown and Middletown Board of Education as additional insureds, with minimum general liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, along with auto liability and workers' compensation coverage. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. Invoices will be paid within thirty days of invoice date, and the contract includes provisions allowing monthly pricing adjustments if specified conditions are met, while the Board may terminate the agreement with thirty days' written notice or immediately if the vendor fails to meet delivery, quality, or sanitary requirements. The specific contract award value or budget range is not disclosed in the available RFP materials.